Twilight Saga Exposed
by Akarui-Sakura
Summary: A mysterious package arrives at the Cullens, containg four books about Edward, the Cullen family and a girl named Bella. Read the Twilight Saga along with them and find out what they think. Differing POV's R/R please :
1. Frustrating Pixie

~Twilight Saga Exposed~

A/N: Once the story from the book gets started it will be in **bold**, Alice's visions will be in _italics_. You'll know which are which when you get to it either way.

Also – very important – I in no way own the rights to the Twilight saga or it's content and characters *I wish* they all belong to the talented Stephenie Meyer and hope no offence is taken in my attempt at writing from characters points of view.

Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy

**Frustrating Pixie**

It started off as your regular bleak sunless day in the town of Forks, Washington. The perfect environment for a family of unique vampires such as us, seeking permanent residence in a world filled with humans and isolation from the nomadic vampires who desire the blood of those we have sworn ourselves would never touch.

My family, consisting of gifted vampires each with a talent of their own, were currently planning a hunting expedition to alleviate the growing bloodlust we often experienced. My brother Emmett was currently keyed up and imagining the scene that will take place when he encounters another Grizzly Bear. His favourite source, of both entertainment and blood, all I could say to that, was that Alice was not going to be pleased at the state of his clothes afterwards. Honing in on Alice, I noticed she was singing 'Awake My Soul' by Mumford & Sons in her mind and translating it into Italian then Swedish and a strangely gleeful look on her face (strange even for Alice). I new she was attempting to hide something from me since she only bothered doing this when she had a vision of the future and did not want me to know what it was. As I tried to delve deeper into her mind, Alice looked towards me, gave a quick roll of her eyes and her grin grew and began translating in French. I gave a quick unnecessary exhale and walked to my piano and began playing my mother, Esme's, favourite song, leaving the planning to the rest of my family as I contemplated what Alice was trying to keep from me.


	2. Alice's Vision

**Alice's Vision**

I knew I couldn't let Edward see my vision. It would stress him out and make him worry. After all, he is the biggest worry-wart in the family. But all in all it did make me curious; as I recited a song in French, in another part of my mind I recalled the vision.

_Without a sound a mysterious box without markings appeared on our doorstep. I carried it to my room quickly and opened it to reveal four black paperback novels of varying thickness and each with its own strange title. One was Twilight second, New Moon, then Eclipse and finally Breaking Dawn. The only thing that appeared to string these titles together at first glance was the name of the author, Stephenie Meyer. But even the name held no clue for me, so I grabbed what I assumed to be the first book and turned it over to read the back. "About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire." I gasped. "Second, there was a part of him – and I didn't know how dominant the part might be – that thirsted for my blood. And third I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him."_

At the last sentence I couldn't help but feel giddy. Edward had not found his mate yet and it seemed so typically Edward to fall for a human. Sure I felt some trepidation on the part of her being human and the risks it would involve for all of us. But Edward deserved his someone, and I truly hoped that the 'Edward' mentioned in the blurb on the book was the Edward I called 'brother'.

As I focused on his future I could picture a girl with pale skin and long dark hair, her eyes were looking down so I couldn't see the colour but she was smiling shyly and one thing that cheered me up more was the fact that she was in this vision with both Edward and I. Her arm around my waist and mine around her shoulders, with her other hand in Edward's as he gazed at her adoringly.

This was just perfect, even though the vision was slightly blurry as if looking through foggy glass or mist since it wasn't completely set in stone. I couldn't wait for her to arrive and be apart of our family. Now all I had to do was wait for the day the unmarked box containing the book collection arrived and I could share all I knew with the rest of my family as well as get more information. I'm terrible with waiting and I had a feeling I was going to be agitated all through the hunting trip being away from home.

Suddenly I felt an arm circle around my waist and a wave of calm flow through me and new instantly it was Jasper.

He placed his chin on my shoulder and whispered, "I could feel your emotions going a little haywire. First you excitement was building and then it plummeted to agitation. I didn't have a clue what brought it on. So… What is wrong?"

"I just had two visions. Concerning our family," At this, Jasper stiffened a little. "Don't worry honey, it was nothing dangerous. But I don't want to let everybody know about it yet. It's kind of a surprise. So, would you mind if I wait telling everyone till we get back from Goat Rocks?" I turned to face him as he thought about it. It didn't take him longer then a second.

"Sure. I trust you and you would never keep anything from us if it was detrimental to our safety. Just don't get so agitated about it," He chuckled.

"Okay. I'll try. Now let's get going on this trip. The sooner we leave the sooner we can get back," I turned to realise everybody was now waiting on us since they seemed ready, and considering I already knew where we all would be going, Jasper and I were ready ages ago. I smiled at Carlisle who turned to the group.

"Alright troops. Move out!" he joked.


	3. The Cullens Return

**The Cullen's Return**

"Well that was one hell of a hunt. Two Grizzlies certainly fill you up. Wish they had more fight in 'em though. They never seem to last long enough."

"Yeah, and the clothes I make for you never seem to last long either Emmett!"

"Oh come on Alice, you know you love doing it. And besides, you only let us wear them just the once. So I don't see the problem."

"Argh! Why do I bother?" with that, Alice stormed upstairs, no doubt to work on more clothing designs and thinking of disturbing outfits she could force on Emmett, with Jasper following close behind her. One of the worst outfits consisting of a pink tutu, spandex and a lot of feathers. I shivered at the image.

Naturally, Emmett's thoughts were already on a completely different topic, baseball. Slumping down on the couch and turning on the TV, Emmett was completely engrossed in the game. Rosalie went into the garage to work on one of our many cars we've collected over the years. Being with Emmett she'd become a natural at tuning out his sometimes foolish banter, and was now only thinking about all the ways she could soup up her car (as well as how immaculate she looked in the car windows reflection).

Esme and Carlisle were strolling out in the back yard, and looking at the stars, simply enjoying each others company so I gave them their privacy and kept out of their minds. As made my way to my room I passed Alice's door and caught an errant thought of hers which she covered up quickly and it intrigued me. _"…third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him." _It was odd, in that it was as if she was repeating it from a script or book but it was within the confines of one of her visions. What could that mean?

I made my way into my room, and turned on my sound system then reclined on the couch, all the while contemplating Alice's vision. Who could it be that this vision involved? And it said 'third', so what could the other two notions be? Why would she be getting visions on a woman's love life? The group of woman in our family are happily attached and as vampires that love is permanent. Also, why were the visions from a book or script? Maybe I'm just reading too much into this and she was just trying to select a book to read.

The sun had now begun to rise and I gazed at the clock. It was currently six-thirty. In a few hours I will have to begin the tedious life of a normal human teenager my siblings and I must endure five days of the week. At least it's only during the day. At night we can indulge in any of our many hobbies, since the need for sleep is not something we are forced to endure.

As I opened my bedroom door Alice dashed past me at top speed down the stairway. Her thoughts appeared scrambled as I heard her squeal with apparent glee. I looked to my right to see Jasper at the end of the hall.

"What is going on? I can't read her thoughts."

"I don't have a clue. She wouldn't tell me anything except that it was a surprise," he replied with shrug, then made his way past me and down to the foyer.

I followed suit, noticing when I reached the end of the staircase that everyone was now encircling Alice, who was currently holding a small unmarked box with a look of pure excitement glowing on her face and was bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Honestly, what is going on?


	4. Secrets Revealed 1

**Secrets Revealed**

I could tell Edward was struggling with the lack of information to clue him in, and I must admit I kind of enjoyed watching him struggle, but I wanted to know more as much they did so I jumped right to it.

"Alright everybody I received a vision just before we left for our hunting trip but I had to wait for this box to arrive to really know what was going to happen and how it will affect all of us. So without further ado I will now reveal its contents."

I skipped into the dining room and placed the box on the table as I waited for my family to take their seats. Once everyone was seated I made quick work on the boxes seal and revealed one of the books, Twilight.

"You're truly this excited over a silly novel? Seriously Alice?"

"Trust me Rosalie you'll be glad you found out about this. All of you will be."

At that everyone looked at me with a look of curiosity as Rosalie scoffed. So I decided not to draw this out too much.

"Let me just read the blurb from the back of this book for you and then tell me what you think," nobody objected so I continued, _**"About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire."**_ Everyone gasped at this just like I had, and Edward simply appeared confused. _**"Second, there was a part of him – and I didn't know how dominant the part might be – that thirsted for my blood. And third I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him."**_

Edward suddenly stood up with a look of dread across his face "Alice, what is this?"

_Please sit Edward. There is more written here and I haven't even seen this part yet. We can discuss it further once I have finished reading the blurb, okay?_

With a frustrated sigh, Edward took his seat, "Fine."

_**"When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen…"**_

"Ohhh mysterious and alluring Eddie. Ha ha"

"Shut up Emmett and don't call me Eddie!"

"If you don't mind, the rest of us would like to know how this affects our family"

"Thank you Rosalie," I gave a nod and a smile to Rosalie then turned to the boys with a raised brow and they took their seats once again. _**"…her life takes a thrilling and terrifying new turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible…" **_Rosalie scoffed, _**"…and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret."**_

"I wish she wouldn't," Edward whispered.

"Ahem. _**'What Bella doesn't realize is that the closer she gets to him, the more she is putting herself and those around her at risk. And it might be too late to turn back…'**_ well that's it."

"So Alice are these books all about me and this girl named Bella?"

"It would appear so. I haven't received anymore visions except that these books were arriving. Oh and also a vision of Bella."

At the mention of a vision of Bella, Edward's eyes widened slightly and he leaned toward me. "What was it Alice? Show me," He pleaded.

And so I did. I showed him the image of Edward and me with Bella. He leaned back into his seat as everyone else remained silent, watching us.

"So this will really happen? I am going to meet her, and she will love me? How could she? I'm a soulless vampire. It doesn't make sense Alice."

Finally Carlisle made a move. "We have been over this Edward. No one with as much caring as you share with those around you could be soulless."

"And how could she not love you Edward? I may have not met her yet but I am positive she will be perfect for you and you for her. You deserve love Edward," piped up Esme.

She always could find the best in all of us, our eternal mother. No matter how deluded our own personal image might be, I scowled at Edward.

"Fine. Fine. You are all getting a little loud could you all stop shouting your thoughts at me," he retorted in a huff. "But hold on. Did that description say her name was Isabella Swan? Chief Swan's daughter is named Isabella isn't she?"

At Edward's query it all seemed to come together. If Chief Swan's daughter was to move here she would of course be going to our school and would come across us even if people usually steer clear of us. I would love to know what she looks like, without it seeming like looking through foggy glass.

"Nobody stress out. I'll be back in a jiffy, okay?" Without waiting for a response I ran as fast as vampire speed to take me (which was really fast mind you), all the way to the Swan household and getting out the hidden front door key, I glided through the front door silently. Chief Swan was out at work already, having left early. I made my way into the lounge and noticed the long line of individual portraits of a girl starting from infancy to around sixteen or seventeen years old. I ripped off a piece of paper from the notepad next to the phone on the corner table and grabbed a lead pencil out of the draw; I walked over to the most recent portrait and started copying it down to absolute perfection. Once completed I returned to the front door, locked it and replaced the key and returned back to the now curious vampires sitting around the dining table.

"I thought you all might want to know what she looks like. So here you guys go." I passed the sketch to Edward first who seemed to simply stare, eyes wide. "Well Edward what do you think?"

"She's beautiful," he replied with a now growing smile. I smiled in reply as the image was passed around the table.

"Oh she _is_ beautiful Edward. I can't wait till she arrives," said Esme once it reached her. She certainly seemed as eager as Edward now was, in meeting her.

"Okay. So who's all for us reading these books together? Raise you hand." I requested. Everybody's hands rose, clearly eager to find out what this story holds for all of us.

"Well first things first. I think you should all now there are three more books in the box which I am assuming are sequels to the first. Twilight is its title, then New Moon, Eclipse and last Breaking Dawn. I am not going to read the blurbs for those yet. And I think at each chapter we should change whoever is narrating, with a chance for open discussion in-between. Is this all right with everyone?" I awaited a response and was granted with nods from my family.

"Okay I'll go first. Everybody ready? _**Preface; I'd never given it much thought to how I would die – though I'd had reason enough in the last few months – but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this. I stared without breathing across the long room, into the dark eyes of the hunter, and he looked pleasantly back at me. Surely it was a good way to die, in the place of someone else, someone I loved. Noble, even. That ought to count for something. I knew that if I'd never gone to Forks, I wouldn't be facing death now. But, terrified as I was, I couldn't bring myself to regret the decision. When life offers you a dream so far beyond your expectations, it's not reasonable to grieve when it comes to and end. The hunter smiled in a friendly way as he sauntered forward to kill me**__._ So that's the preface. What do you all think so far?"

"A little morbid, don't you think?" Emmett remarked as Edward groaned.

"I bet she is referring to me. Or I brought her to this conclusion," Edward moaned.

"Don't be ridiculous Edward. It couldn't possibly be you!" Esme snapped.

"Thank you for your belief in me mum," Edward smiled, somewhat glumly.

"How about someone continues on to the first chapter and we can find out what happens?" I offered.

"Mind if I start us off Alice?" Carlisle requested.

"Sure," I replied, passing him the novel.

**"Chapter 1: First Sight. My Mother drove me to the airport with the windows rolled down. It was seventy-five degrees in Phoenix, the sky a perfect, cloudless blue. I was wearing my favourite shirt – sleeveless, white eyelet lace; I was wearing it as a farewell gesture."**

"That's not a very good choice for Forks. She'll be freezing and wet." Esme was already worrying over her.

**"My carry on item was a parka."**

"Now, that's a bit more appropriate."

__**"In the Olympic Peninsula of northwest Washington State, a small town named Forks exists under a near-constant cover of clouds."**

"Perfect place for people like us," Emmett chuckled_._

**"It rains on this inconsequential town more that any other place in the United States if America. It was from this town and its gloomy, omnipresent shade that my mother escaped with me when I was only a few months old. It was in this town that I'd been compelled to spend a month every summer until I was fourteen. That was the year I finally put my foot down; these past three summers, my dad, Charlie, vacationed with me in California for two weeks instead.**

**It was to Forks that I now exiled myself – an action that I took with great horror. I detested Forks."**

"Why is she bothering coming here then?" Emmett wondered aloud.

"**I loved Phoenix. I loved the sun and the blistering heat. I loved the vigorous, sprawling city.**

** "Bella," my mum said to me – the last of a thousand times – before I got on the plane. "You don't have to do this."**

** My mum looks like me, except with short hair and laugh lines. I felt a spasm of panic as I stared at her wide, childlike eyes. How could I leave my loving, erratic, harebrained mother to fend for herself? Of course she had Phil now, so the bills would probably get paid, there would be food in the refrigerator, gas in her car and someone to call when she got lost, but still…"**

"She seems to be an old soul just like you dear," Esme mused to Edward, "although I believe it's her mother's job to feel this way not the other way around."

**""I want to go," I lied. I'd always been a bad liar, but I'd been saying this lie so frequently lately that it sounded almost convincing now.**

** "Tell Charlie I said hi."**

** "I will."**

** "I'll see you soon," she insisted. "You can come home whenever you want – I'll come right back as soon as you need me."**

** But I could see the sacrifice in her eyes behind the promise.**

** "Don't worry about me," I urged. "It'll be great. I love you, Mum."**

**She hugged me tightly for a minute, and then I got on the plane, and she was gone.**

** It's a four-hour flight from Phoenix to Seattle, another hour in a small plane up to Port Angeles, and then an hour drive back down to forks. Flying doesn't bother me; the hour in the car with Charlie though, I was a little worried about."**

"I wonder why that would worry her." Edward wondered.

**"Charlie had really been fairly nice about the whole thing. He seemed genuinely pleased that I was coming to live with him for the first time with any degree of permanence."**

"Of course he would be. You're his daughter." Esme admonished.

**"He'd already gotten me registered for high school and was going to help me get a car.**

** But it was sure to be awkward with Charlie. Neither of us was what anyone would call verbose, and I didn't know what there was to say regardless. I knew he was more than a little confused by my decision – like my mother before me; I hadn't made a secret of my distaste for Forks.**

** When I landed in Port Angeles, it was raining. I didn't see it as an omen – just unavoidable. I'd already said my goodbyes to the sun.**

** Charlie was waiting for me with the cruiser. This I was expecting, too. Charlie is Police Chief Swan to the good people of Forks. My primary motivation behind buying a car, despite the scarcity of my funds, was that I refused to be driven around town in a car with red and blue lights on top. Nothing slows down traffic like a cop.**

** Charlie gave me and awkward, one-armed hug when I stumbled my way off the plane.**

** "It's good to see you, Bells," he said, smiling as he automatically caught and steadied me. "You haven't changed much. How's Renée?"**

** "Mum's fine. It's good to see you too, Dad." I wasn't allowed to call him Charlie to his face."**

__"I would think not," Esme rebuked.

__**"I only had a few bags. Most of my Arizona clothes were too permeable for Washington. My mum and I had pooled our recourses to supplement my winter wardrobe, but it was still scanty. It all fit easily into the trunk of the cruiser."**

__I didn't like the sound of that. I new then that I would have to take her shopping or even better, design her a whole new wardrobe. Maybe as a 'Welcome to Forks' gift… I'll have to start as soon as we finish the books if it's to be done by the time she arrives. What colours should I use?

"Blue," was Edward's only remark to my unspoken question. After all blue is his favourite colour. Everyone turned to him curious about his random outburst. Carlisle simply shrugged and continued with the story.

**""I found a good car for you, really cheap," he announced when we were strapped in.**

** "What kind of car?" I was suspicious of the way he said "good car for you" as apposed to just "good car".**

** "Well, it's a truck actually, a Chevy."**

** "Where did you find it?"**

__**"Do you remember Billy Black down at La Push?" La Push is the tiny Indian reservation on the coast.**

** "No."**

** "He used to go fishing with us during the summer," Charlie prompted.**

** That would explain why I didn't remember him. I do a good job of blocking painful, unnecessary things from my memory.**

** "He's in a wheelchair now," Charlie continued when I didn't respond, "So he can't drive anymore, and he offered to sell me his truck cheap."**

** "What year is it?" I could tell from his change of expression that this was a question he was hoping I wouldn't ask.**

** "Well Billy's done a lot of work on the engine – it's only a few years old, really."**

** I hoped he didn't think so little of me as to believe I would give up that easily. "When did he buy it?"**

** "He bought it in 1984, I think."**

** "Did he buy it new?"**

** "Well, no. I think it was new in the early sixties – or late fifties at the earliest," he admitted sheepishly."**

"WHAT! Argh, I'm so going to help her out with getting a better car. Even if I _do _think this vampire-human relationship is going to cause problems for all of us, no one should be stuck with such a slow old car," Rosalie ranted.

__**"Ch- Dad, I don't really know anything about cars. I wouldn't be able to fix it if anything went wrong, and I couldn't afford a mechanic…"**

** "Really, Bella, the thing runs great. They don't build them like that anymore."**

_**The Thing**_**, I thought to myself… it had possibilities – as a nickname at the very least."**

__"I like it," Emmett snorted.

** ""How cheap is cheap?" After all, that was the part I couldn't compromise on.**

** "Well, honey, I kind of already bought it for you. As a homecoming gift." Charlie peeked sideways at me with a hopeful expression.**

** Wow. Free.**

** "You didn't need to do that, Dad. I was going to buy myself a car."**

** "I don't mind. I want you to be happy here." He was looking ahead at the road when he said this. Charlie wasn't comfortable with expressing his emotions out loud. I inherited that from him. So I was looking straight ahead when I responded.**

** "That's really nice, Dad. Thanks. I really appreciate it." No need to add that my being happy in Forks is an impossibility. He didn't need to suffer along with me. And I never looked a free truck in the mouth – or engine."**

"Judging by the preface and this statement, she seems to be a bit of a martyr. Don't you think?" Carlisle mused.

"Mhmm," was Edward's only response, as he frowned slightly.

"**"Well, now, you're welcome," he mumbled, embarrassed by my thanks.**

** We exchanged a few more comments on the weather, which was wet, and that was pretty, much it for conversation. We stared out the windows in silence.**

** It was beautiful, of course; I couldn't deny that. Everything was green: the trees, their trunks covered with moss, their branches hanging with a canopy of it, the ground covered with ferns. Even the air filtered down greenly through the leaves.**

** It was too green – an alien planet. **She has an odd way of looking at it," stated Carlisle, "but I guess it would be very different to Phoenix.

**Eventually we made it to Charlie's. He still lived in the small, two-bedroom house that he'd bought with my mother in the early days if their marriage. Those were the only kind of days their marriage had – the early ones. There, parked on the street in front of the house that never changed, was my new – well, new to me – truck. It was a faded red colour, with big, rounded fenders and a bulbous cab. To my intense surprise, I loved it."**

"Argh. You have got to kidding me!" Rosalie groaned.

** "I didn't know if it would run, but I could see myself in it. Plus, it was one of those solid iron affairs that never gets damaged – the kind you see at the scene of an accident, paint unscratched, surrounded by the pieces if the foreign car it had destroyed.**

** "Wow, Dad, I love it! Thanks!" Now my horrific day tomorrow would be just that much less dreadful. I wouldn't be faced with the choice of either walking two miles in the rain to school or accepting a ride in the Chief's cruiser.**

** "I'm glad you like it," Charlie said gruffly, embarrassed again.**

** It took only one trip to get all my stuff upstairs. I got the west bedroom that faced out over the front yard. The room was familiar; it had belonged to me since I was born. The wooden floor, the light blue walls, the peaked ceiling, the yellowed lace curtains around the window – these were all part of my childhood. The only changes Charlie had ever made were switching the crib for a bed and adding a desk as I grew. The desk now held a second-hand computer, with the phone line for the modem stapled along the floor to the nearest phone jack. This was a stipulation from my mother, so that she could stay in touch easily. The rocking chair from my baby days was still in the corner.**

** There was only one small bathroom at the top of the stairs, which I would have to share with Charlie. I was trying not to dwell too much on that fact.**

** One of the best things about Charlie is he doesn't hover. He left me alone to unpack and get settled, a feat that would have been altogether impossible for my mother. It was nice to be alone, not to have to smile and look pleased; a relief to stare dejectedly out the window at the sheeting rain and let just a few tears escape. I wasn't in the mood to go on a real crying jag. I would save that for bedtime, when I would have to think about the coming morning."**

"Oh, sweetheart." Esme was clearly feeling upset for her at the situation she was in, and I had to admit so was I. I already felt –since my vision –that she was a sister to me, and Edward also didn't appear to like the fact she was feeling so down. Even _if _this hadn't happened yet.

** "Forks High School had a frightening total of only three hundred and fifty-seven – now fifty-eight – students; there were more than seven hundred people in my junior class alone back home. All of the kids here had grown up together. I would be the new girl from the big city, a curiosity, a freak."**

"I'm betting she'll feel better once she realises we are the ones that seem to hold that title," considered Emmett with a slight chuckle.

** "Maybe, if I looked like a girl from Phoenix should, I could work this to my advantage. But physically, I'd never fit in anywhere. I **_**should **_**be tan, sporty, blonde – volleyball player, or a cheerleader, perhaps – all the things that go with living in the valley of the sun.**

** Instead, I was ivory-skinned, without even the excuse of blue eyes or red hair, despite the constant sunshine. **Hmm, that does seem a little strange for a human. **I had always been slender, but soft somehow, obviously not an athlete; I didn't have the necessary hand-eye coordination to play sports without humiliating myself – and harming both myself and anyone else who stood to close.**

** When I finished putting my clothes in the old pine dresser, I took my bag of bathroom necessities and went to the communal bathroom to clean myself up after the day of travel. I looked at my face in the mirror as a brushed through my tangled, damp hair. Maybe it was the light, but already I looked sallower, unhealthy. My skin could be pretty – it was very clear, almost translucent-looking – but it all depended on colour. I had no colour here"**

"Ha ha ha, she'll look like one of us if she really is as pale as she says," hooted Emmett.

**"Facing my pallid reflection in the mirror, I was forced to admit that I was lying to myself. It wasn't just physically that I'd never fit in. And if I couldn't find a niche in a school with three thousand people, what were my chances here?**

** I didn't relate well to people my own age. Maybe the truth was that I didn't relate well to people, period. Even my mother, who I was closer to than anyone else on the planet, was never in harmony with me, never on exactly the same page. Sometimes I wondered if I was seeing the same things through my eyes that the rest of the world was seeing through theirs. Maybe there was a glitch in my brain.**

** But the cause didn't matter. All that mattered was the effect. And tomorrow would be just the beginning.**

** I didn't sleep well that night, even after I was done crying. The constant whooshing of the rain and the wind wouldn't fade into the background. I pulled the faded old quilt over my head, and later added the pillow, too. But I couldn't fall asleep until after midnight, when the rain finally settled in to a quieter drizzle.**

** Thick fog was all I could see out my window in the morning, and I could feel the claustrophobia creeping up on me. You could never see the sky here; it was like a cage.**

** Breakfast with Charlie was a quiet event. He wished me good luck at school. I thanked him, knowing his hope was wasted. Good luck tended to avoid me."**

"You've got that right, if you're going to be meeting me," noted Edward glumly.

"Oh stop being so overly dramatic Edward. If anyone of us should meet her, it's best that it's you first I suppose. Or me." I smiled reassuringly at him, but he simple shook his head.

**"Charlie left first, off to the police station that was his wife and family. After he left, I sat at the old square oak table in one of the three unmatched chairs and examined his small kitchen, with its dark panelled walls, bright yellow cabinets, and white linoleum floor. Nothing was changed. My mother had painted the cabinets eighteen years ago in an attempt to bring some sunshine into the house. Over the small fireplace in the adjoining handkerchief-sized family room was a row of pictures. First, a wedding picture of Charlie and my mum in Las Vegas, then one of the three of us in the hospital after I was born, taken by a helpful nurse, followed by a procession of my school pictures up to last year's. Those were embarrassing to look at – I would have to see what I could do to get Charlie to put them somewhere else, at least while I was living here.**

Continued in next Chapter…


	5. Secrets Revealed 3

*****Secrets Revealed 2*****

**It was impossible, being in this house, not to realize that Charlie ha never gotten over my mum. It made me uncomfortable. **Not to mention it's not healthy. I believe he should have begun a process of elimination, just to help him move forward. All these things Renee had done to the house and all these reminders of her really aren't helping him.

**I didn't want to be too early to school, but I couldn't stay in the house anymore. I donned my jacket – which had the feel of a biohazard suit – and headed out into the rain.**

** It was just drizzling still, not enough to soak me through immediately, as I reached for the house key that was always hidden under the eaves by the door, and locked up. The sloshing of my new waterproof boots was unnerving. I missed the normal crunch of gravel as I walked. I couldn't pause and admire my truck again as I wanted; I was in a hurry to get out of the misty wet that swirled around my head and clung to my hair under my hood.**

** Inside the truck, it was nice and dry. Either Billy or Charlie had obviously cleaned it up, but the tan upholstered seats still smelled of tobacco, gasoline and peppermint. The engine started quickly, to my relief, but loudly, roaring to life and then idling at top volume. Well, a truck this old was bound to have a flaw. The antique radio worked, a plus that I wasn't expecting.**

** Finding the school wasn't difficult, although I'd never been there before. The school was, like most other things, just off the highway. It was not obvious that it was a school; only the sign, which declared it to be Forks High School, made me stoop. It looked like a set of matching houses, built with maroon coloured brocks. There were so many trees and shrubs I couldn't see its size at first. Where was the feel of the institution? I wondered nostalgically. Where were the chain-link fences, the metal detectors?"**

"What kind of school did she go to?" Edward remarked, obviously shocked.

**"I parked in front of the first building, which had a small sign over the door reading ****FRONT OFFICE****. No one else was parked there, so I was sure it was off limits, but I decided I would get directions inside instead of circling around in the rain like an idiot. I stepped unwillingly out of the toasty truck cab and walked down a little stone path lined with dark hedges. I took a deep breath before opening the door.**

** Inside, it was brightly lit, and warmer than I'd hoped. The office was small; a little waiting area with padded folding chairs, orange-flecked commercial carpet, notices and awards cluttering the walls, a big clock ticking loudly. Plants grew everywhere in large plastic pots, as if there wasn't enough greenery outside. The room was cut in half by a long counter, cluttered with wire baskets full of papers and brightly coloured flyers taped to it's front. There were three desks behind the counter, one of which was manned by a large red-haired woman wearing glasses. She was wearing a purple T-shirt, which immediately made me fell overdressed.**

** The red-haired woman looked up. "Can I help you?"**

** "I'm Isabella Swan," I informed her, and saw the immediate awareness light her eyes. I was expected, a topic of gossip no doubt. Daughter of the Chief's flighty ex-wife, come home at last.**

** "Of course," she said. She dug through a precariously stacked pile of documents on her desk till she found the ones she was looking for. "I have your schedule right here, and a map of the school." She brought several sheets to the counter to show me.**

** She went through my classes for me, highlighting the best route to each on the map, and gave me a slip to have each teacher sign, which I was to bring back at the end of the day. She smiled at me and hoped, like Charlie, that I would like it here in Forks. I smiled back as convincingly as I could."**

"Definitely a martyr," remarked Edward, frowning.

** "When I went back out to my truck, other students were starting to arrive. I drove around the school, following the line of traffic. I was glad to see that most of the cars were older like mine, nothing flashy. At home I lived in one of the fewer lower-income neighbourhoods that were included in the Paradise Valley District. It was common thing to see a new Mercedes or Porsche in the student lot. The nicest car here was a shiny Volvo, and it stood out."**

Rosalie scoffed.

"Yeah, yeah, Rosalie. I know you would love to drive your car to school," replied Edward, rolling his eyes to Rosalie's unspoken comment.

** "Still, I cut the engine as soon as I was in a spot, so that the thunderous volume wouldn't draw attention to me.**

** I looked at the map in the truck, trying to memorize it now; hopefully I wouldn't have to walk around with it stuck in front of my nose all day. I stuffed everything in my bag, slung the strap over my shoulder, and sucked in a huge breath. I can do this, I lied to myself feebly. No one was going to bite me."**

At that comment, Emmett let out a loud booming laugh. I covered my ears, and Carlisle waited for him to settle down so that he could continue. It didn't seem to take that long, with Jasper's help. Edward seemed to find Bella's comment rather depressing, since his frown seemed to have deepened some.

** "I finally exhaled and stepped out of the truck.**

** I kept my face pulled back into my hood as I walked to the sidewalk, crowded with teenagers. My plain black jacket didn't stand out, I noticed with relief.**

** Once I got around the cafeteria, building three was easy to spot. A large black '3' was painted on a white square on the east corner. I felt my breathing gradually creeping toward hyperventilation as I approached the door. I tried holding my breath as I followed two unisex raincoats through the door.**

** The classroom was small. The people in front of me stopped just inside the door to hang up their coats on a long row of hooks. I copied them. They were two girls, one a porcelain-coloured blonde, the other also pale, with light brown hair. At least I wouldn't be a standout here.**

** I took the slip up to the teacher, a tall, balding man whose desk had a nameplate identifying him as Mr. Mason. He gawked at me when he saw my name – not an encouraging response – **not to mention rude, **and of course I flushed tomato red. But at least he sent me to an empty desk at the back without introducing me to the class. It was hard for my new classmates to stare at me from the back, but somehow, they managed. I kept my eyes down on the reading list the teacher had given me. It was fairly basic: Brontë, Shakespeare, Chaucer, Faulkner. I'd already read everything."**

Edward smiled at her remark. Well obviously, since they're meant to be together, they would have similar interest. Obviously hearing my thoughts he scowled a little, but he was apparently still happy since he couldn't help but smile.

**"That was comforting… and boring."**

"Tell me about it," Edward sighed.

**"I wondered if my mum would send me my folder of old essays, or if she would think that was cheating. I went through different arguments with her in my head while the teacher droned on.**

** When the bell rang, a nasal buzzing sound, a gangly boy with skin problems and hair black as an oil slick leaned across the aisle to talk to me."**

"I'm presuming its Eric," wondered Jasper aloud.

** ""You're Isabella Swan, aren't you?" He looked like the overly helpful, chess club type.**

** "Bella," I corrected. Everyone within a three seat radius turned to look at me.**

** "Where's your next class?" he asked.**

** I had to check my bag. "Um, Government, with Jefferson, in building six."**

** There was nowhere to look without meeting curious eyes.**

** "I'm headed toward building four, I could show you the way…" Definitely overly helpful. "I'm Eric," he added.**

** I smiled tentatively. "Thanks."**

** We got our jackets and headed out into the rain, which had picked up. I could have sworn several people behind us were walking close enough to eavesdrop. I hoped I wasn't getting paranoid.**

** "So, this is a lot different than Phoenix, huh?" he asked.**

** "Very."**

** "It doesn't rain much there, does it?"**

** "Three or four times a year."**

** "Wow, what must that be like?" he wondered.**

** "Sunny," I told him.**

** "You don't look very tan."**

** "My mother is part albino."**

** He studied my face apprehensively, I sighed. It looked like clouds and a sense of humour didn't mix. A few months of this and I'd forget how to use sarcasm."**

"Well no offence to her, but it wasn't a very funny joke. I'll have to teach her a few good ones or give her some pointers or something, cos that was sad," insisted Emmett.

** "We walked back around the cafeteria, to the south buildings by the gym. Eric walked me right to the door, though it was clearly marked.**

** "Well, good luck," he said as I touched the handle. "Maybe we'll have some other classes together." He sounded hopeful.**

Edward hissed at the book and I had to admit I was a little smug at how, obviously, his affections for Bella were growing.

Carlisle chuckled lightly before continuing.

** "I smiled at him vaguely and went inside.**

** The rest of the morning passed in about the same fashion. My trigonometry teacher, Mr. Varner, who I would have hated anyway just because of the subject he taught, was the only one who made me stand in front of the class and introduce myself. I stammered, blushed, and tripped over my own boots on the way to my seat.**

** After two classes, I started to recognize several of the faces in each class. There was always someone braver then the others who would introduce themselves and ask me questions about how I was liking Forks. I tried to be diplomatic, but mostly I just lied a lot. At least I never needed the map.**

** One girl sat next to me in both Trig and Spanish, and she walked with me to the cafeteria for lunch. She was tiny, several inches shorter than my five feet four inches, but her wildly curly dark hair made up a lot of the difference between our heights. I couldn't remember her name, so I smiled and nodded as she prattled about teachers and classes. I didn't try to keep up.**

** We sat at the end of a full table, with several of her friends, who she introduced to me. I forgot all their names as soon as she spoke them."**

"Hmm, that will only make things more difficult for her. But I guess she has been introduced to a lot of people," sympathised Esme.

** "They seemed impressed by her bravery in speaking to me. The boy from English, Eric, waved at me from across the room.**

** It was there, sitting in the lunchroom, trying to make conversation with seven curious strangers, that I first saw them."**

"Oh, oh, I bet that's us!" Emmett and I both yelled, mine coming out in more of a squeal. I sat bolt upright as Emmett seemed to lean closer towards Carlisle in anticipation.

**"They were sitting in the corner of the cafeteria, as far away from where I sat as possible in the long room. There were five of them. They weren't talking and they weren't eating, thought they each had a tray of untouched food in front of them."**

"Hmm… she seems a little too observant. Most humans would simply look at us then turn away quickly, since instinct tells them to. I hope she doesn't observe too much. I would be detrimental to her safety," worried Edward.

"Don't forget our safety. I don't want to have to move again if too many people find out about us, all 'cos of your little girlfriend."

"Don't worry Rosalie. It will not lead to that!" I was frustrated with her and her over worrying.

**"They weren't gawking at me, unlike most of the other students, so it was safe to stare at them without a fear of meeting an excessively interested pair of eyes. But it was none of these things that caught, and held, my attention.**

"Oh great! See Alice?" she's noticed something else already.

I simply rolled my eyes at Rosalie's unnecessary concern.

**"They didn't look anything alike. Of the three boys, one was big – muscled like a serious weight lifter, with dark curly hair."**

"Oh yeah, that's me," Emmett boomed, raising a fist into the air.

**"Another was taller, leaner, but still muscular, and honey blonde."**

"That's my Jasper." I leaned into him, placing my head on his shoulder.

**"The last was lanky, less bulky, with untidy, bronze-coloured hair. He was more boyish than the others,"**

"Ha ha ha ha ha. Gee she got you to a tee Eddie-boy," Emmett croaked through his laughter. He was now holding his stomach, head bowed over the table top, and shaking from uncontrollable laughter.

"I told you Emmett, _don't_ call me Eddie or even Eddie-boy!"

"Jasper, I think now would be a good time to intervene," I whispered into his ear.

It didn't take long for both of the boys to settle down enough for Carlisle to continue. Esme mouthing a silent thank you to Jasper, who nodded in response.

**"He was more boyish than the others, who looked like they could be in college, or even teachers here rather than students.**

** The girls were opposites. The tall one was statuesque. She had a beautiful figure, the kind you saw on the cover of the **_**Sports Illustrated**_** swimsuit issue, the kind that made every girl around her take a hit to her self-esteem just by being in the same room. Her hair was golden, gently waving to the middle of her back."**

"Well, ok, so she isn't all _that_ bad I guess," sighed Rosalie.

_Edward. Trust Rosalie to change her opinions when it concerns her vanity_.

Edward simply smiled in response to my thought.

**"The short girl was pixielike, thin in the extreme, with small features. Her hair was a deep black, cropped short and pointing in every direction.**

** And yet they were all exactly alike."**

"Oh wonderful," groaned Edward.

**"Every one of them was chalky pale, the palest of all the students living in this sunless town. Paler than me, the albino. They all had very dark eyes despite their range in hair tones."**

Edward now had his face in his hands as he groaned even loader, "even better. The first time I see her or she sees me, and we're all thirsty."

"Don't worry, Edward, it won't turn out that bad. Although I am surprised she has already noticed this much," I remarked, "Normally, humans never even manage to look at our eyes, let alone notice the colour."

**"They also had dark shadows under those eyes – purplish, bruiselike shadows. As if they were all suffering from a sleepless night, or almost done recovering from a broken nose. Though their noses, all their features, were straight, perfect, angular.**

** But all this is not why I couldn't look away.**

** I stared because their faces, so different, so similar, were all devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful. They were faces you never expected to see except perhaps on the airbrushed pages of a fashion magazine. Or painted by an old master as the face of an angel. It was hard to decide who was the most beautiful – maybe the perfect blonde girl,"**

Rosalie smiled smugly at Bella's assessment.

**"…or the bronze haired boy."**

Her smile faded, and I couldn't help but giggle slightly, which I changed to a cough when her eyes narrowed in my direction.

**"They were all looking away – away from each other, away from the other students, away from anything in particular as far as I could tell. As I watched, the small girl rose with her tray – unopened soda, unbitten apple – and walked away with a quick graceful lope that belonged on a runway. I watched, amazed at her lithe dancer's step, till she dumped her tray and glided through the back door, faster than I would have thought possible. My eyes darted back to the others, who sat unchanging."**

"Alice, that wasn't very subtle of you. Even if other humans don't normally pay attention, you should always keep up the cover," Esme chastised me, but I couldn't help but feel that I may have done that intentionally. I wanted her to notice. I must have already had a vision of her or something along those lines.

"**"Who are **_**they**_**?" I asked the girl from my Spanish class, whose name I'd forgotten.**

** As she looked up to see who I meant – though already knowing, probably from my tone – suddenly he looked at her, the thinner one, the boyish one, the youngest perhaps. He looked at my neighbour for a fraction of a second, and then his dark eyes flickered to mine.**

** He looked away quickly, more quickly than I could, though in a flush of embarrassment I dropped my eyes at once. In that brief flash of a glance, his face held nothing of interest – it was as if she had called his name, and he'd looked up in involuntary response, already having decided not to answer. **She really does notice a lot, doesn't she?

** My neighbour giggled in embarrassment, looking at the table like I did.**

** "That's Edward and Emmett Cullen, and Rosalie and Jasper Hale. The one who left was Alice Cullen; they all live together with Dr. Cullen and his wife." She said this under her breath.**

** I glanced sideways at the beautiful boy…"**

Emmett sniggered, knowing exactly who she was referring to.

**"…who was looking at his tray now, picking a bagel to pieces with long, pale fingers. His mouth was moving very quickly, his perfect lips barely opening. The other three still looked away, and yet I felt he was speaking quietly to them.**

** Strange, unpopular names, I thought. The kind of names grandparents had. But maybe that was in vogue here – small town names? I finally remembered that my neighbour was called Jessica, a perfectly common name. There were two girls named Jessica in my History class back home.**

** "They are… very nice-looking." I struggled with the conspicuous understatement.**

** "Yes!" Jessica agreed with another giggle. "They're all **_**together**_** though – Emmett and Rosalie, and Jasper and Alice, I mean. And they **_**live**_** together." Her voice held all the shock and condemnation of the small town, I thought critically. But, if I was being honest, I had to admit that even in Phoenix, it would cause gossip.**

** "Which ones are the Cullens?" I asked. "They don't look related…"**

** "Oh. They're not. Dr. Cullen is really young, in his twenties or early thirties. They're all adopted. The Hales **_**are**_** brother and sister, twins – the blondes – and they're foster children."**

** "They look a little old for foster children."**

** "They are now, Jasper and Rosalie are both eighteen, but they've been with Mrs. Cullen since they were eight. She's their aunt or something like that."**

** "That's really kind of nice – for them to take care of all those kids like that, when they're so young and everything."**

** "I guess so," Jessica admitted reluctantly, and I got the impression that she didn't like the doctor and his wife for some reason. With the glances she was throwing at their adopted children, I would presume the reason was jealousy."**

_**"**_Correct. Some of the thoughts she has towards us are so bitter most of the time. Especially since I didn't show any interested in her. She really needs to get over that," Edward muttered the last comment.

"**"I think that Mrs. Cullen can't have any kids though," she added, as if that lessened their kindness."**

Esme seemed angered by the comment as she added, "Don't any of you dare think I love you any less because you're not my biological children, understood? I love you all as if you were."

"We know mum. The same as we love you," Edward responded with a smile, as we all sped over to her and gave her a hug, with Rosalie and I adding a kiss to her cheek.

Carlisle continued with the story, now with his arm around Esme's waist.

**"Throughout all this conversation, my eyes flickered again and again to the table where the strange family sat. They continued to look at the walls and not eat.**

** "Have they always lived in Forks?" I asked. Surely I would have noticed them on one of my summers here.**

** "No," she said in a voice that implied it should be obvious, even to a new arrival like me. "They just moved down two years ago from somewhere in Alaska."**

** I felt a surge of pity, and relief. Pity because, as beautiful as they were, they were outsiders, clearly not accepted."**

"I guess she wouldn't know that we choose that, as well as prefer it," I stated.

"Not to mention, that's an odd combination of emotions to be feeling at any one time," added Jasper.

**"Relief that I wasn't the only newcomer here, and certainly not the most interesting by any standard.**

** As I examined them, the youngest, one of the Cullens, looked up and met my gaze, this time with evident curiosity in his expression. As I looked swiftly away, it seemed to me that his glance held some kind of unmet expectation.** It's amazing how she can assess all of that from one simple glance. But also, what were you so expectant about Edward?"

"I haven't got the faintest clue."

"Hmm, very well. Maybe if I continue, we will find out? **"Which one is the boy with the reddish brown hair?" I asked. I peeked at him from the corner of my eye, and he was still staring at me, but not gawking like the other student shad today – he had a slightly frustrated expression. I looked down again."**

"Edward! You of all people should be able to tell that she is uncomfortable already. What is the problem? She hasn't even done anything involved with us yet and you're already staring daggers at her," Esme was clearly not impressed by 'book Edward's' behaviour.

"I don't have a clue why I'm looking at her that way. I wish, as much as you, that I knew what was wrong," replied Edward exasperatedly.

"**"That's Edward. He's gorgeous, of course, but don't waste your time. He doesn't date. Apparently none of the girls here are good-looking enough for him." She sniffed, a clear case of sour grapes. I wondered when he'd turned her down.**

** I bit my lip to hide my smile. Then I glanced at him again. His face was turned away, but I thought his cheek appeared lifted, as if he were smiling, too.**

** After a few more minutes, the four of them left the table together. They all were noticeably graceful – even the big, brawny one."**

"Ha ha ha, now that's hilarious." Edward wasn't the only one laughing though. All the younger Cullens, bar Emmett were now laughing hysterically, since no one had ever referred to Emmett as 'graceful', even though it's a common trait among vampires.

**"It was unsettling to watch. The one named Edward didn't look at me again.**

** I sat at the table with Jessica and her friends longer than I would have if id been sitting alone. I was anxious not to be late for class on my first day. One of my new acquaintances, who considerately reminded me that her name was Angela, had Biology II with me the next hour. We walked to class together in silence. She was shy, too.**

"Oh great. The only seat available in that class is at my table," complained Edward.

** When we entered the classroom, Angela went to sit at a black topped lab table exactly like the ones I was used to. She already had a neighbour. In fact, all the tables were filled except one. Next to the centre aisle, I recognized Edward Cullen by his unusual hair, sitting next to that single open seat.**

** As I walked down the aisle to introduce myself to the teacher and get my slip signed, I was watching him surreptitiously. Just as I passed, he suddenly went rigid in his seat. He stared at me again, meeting my eyes with the strangest expression on his face – it was hostile, furious. I looked away quickly, shocked, going red again. I stumbled over a book in the walkway and had to catch myself on the edge of a table. The girl sitting there giggled.**

** I'd noticed that his eyes were black – coal black."**

"Edward, seriously? What is up with you and those looks you keep giving her?" I asked him frustratingly.

"I already explained. I don't know what the 'book me' is thinking, so there is no explanation I can possibly give you, at this point. When I am positive in my assessment, I will be sure to tell you all. Is that alright with you?" Edward clarified in surprising calmness.

"Well alright then, I guess." I leaned back into the chair as I nodded to Carlisle to continue.

**"Mr. Banner signed my slip and handed me a book with no nonsense about introductions. I could tell we were going to get along. Of course, he had no choice but to send me to the one open seat in the middle of the room. I kept my eyes down as I went to sit by **_**him**_**, bewildered by the antagonistic stare he'd given me.**

** I didn't look up as I set my book in the table and took my seat, but I saw his posture change from the corner of my eye. He was leaning away from me, sitting on the extreme edge of his chair and averting his face like he smelled something bad. Inconspicuously, I sniffed my hair. It smelled like strawberries, my favourite shampoo. It seemed and innocent enough odour. I let my hair fall over my right shoulder, making a dark curtain between us, and tried to pay attention to the teacher. Unfortunately the lecture was on cellular anatomy, something I'd already studied. I took notes carefully anyway, always looking down.**

** I couldn't stop myself from peeking occasionally through the screen of my hair at the strange boy next to me. During the whole class, he never relaxed his stiff position on the edge of his chair, sitting as far from me as possible. **I must admit Edward, this is strange behaviour from you. Even though you're thirsty, you have always shown great restraint. I wonder why you appear to be so effected by her?"

"I wish I knew. This is as peculiar to me as it is to all of you," Edward responded.

**"I could see his hand on his left leg was clenched into a fist, tendons standing out under his pale skin. This, too, he never relaxed. He had the long sleeves of his white shirt pushed up to his elbows, and his forearm was surprisingly hard and muscular beneath his light skin. He wasn't nearly as slight as he'd looked nest to his burly brother.**


End file.
